Head of Department: Food Security, Livelihoods & Resilience

Position Title: Head of Department Food Security, Livelihoods & Resilience

Directly Reports to: Programs Director

Technically reports to: Food Security & Livelihoods Advisor

Number of positions One (1)

Duty Station :Nairobi – Kenya

Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in more than 50 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition, health, water/sanitation, and food security. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages programs in 7 countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Haiti. Action Against Hunger-USA implements more than $60 million in programs annually, and approximately 1,500 permanent employees based in New York City, Washington D.C, Nairobi, and country offices. Additional growth is anticipated.

Action Against Hunger has been present in Kenya since 2001 and is a transformative leader in nutrition security for improved quality of life among vulnerable communities. Action Against Hunger wants to contribute to the optimal functional performance of National, County, and Community systems through strategic partnerships for innovative nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions to achieve its impact. The organization recognizes gender equality as central to its core strategy towards realization of effective and sustainable outcomes on nutrition, WASH and surveillance interventions. Action Against Hunger is currently implementing activities in West Pokot, Mandera, Samburu, Isiolo, Trans Nzoia, Kakamega, Bungoma and Busia counties.

I. Summary of Position

The As a member of the Action Against Hunger Kenya Country Office, the Head of Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience Department will provide managerial, technical and oversight support to the Food Security, Livelihoods, Resilience and Disaster Risk Management interventions, and be part of the broader Food Security & Livelihoods initiatives at the Country, Network and regional levels. The FSL HOD, responsible for ensuring smooth implementation of FSL programmes through support to the FSL teams and ensuring adherence to the organization policy, procedure and donor guidelines and standards. Guaranteeing quality, relevance and scaling up of FSL strategy and interventions of the country program, in conformity with Action Against Hunger Country strategy and international standards and national policies.

The Head of Department Food Security , Livelihoods & Resilience role has the following purpose, engagement and delivery:

Purpose

The Head of Department, Food Security Livelihood and Resilience provides technical leadership to Action Against Hunger’s food security programs through context analysis, development of strategic FSL & Resilience priorities and promotion of technical innovations and learning capitalization.. S/he will support in design, implementation and monitoring of the country strategy.

It is expected that the Head of Department FSL & Resilience continue defining clear key strategic directions and ensure that these strategic directions are translate into concrete actions.

Engagement

The Head of Department FSL & Resilience provides internal and external representation to ensure a clear understanding of Action Against Hunger’s technical positioning among the various stakeholders. Collaborate with other technical coordinators to develop an integrated technical strategy; and support integrated program definition and implementation.

Coordinate with other technical departments (nutrition, WASH) in overall program coherence specifically recovery and development projects; and support departments (logistics, administration and human resources) in procurement planning and follow-up, and budget follow-ups, human resources planning and overall staff management. Implementation of technical advocacy actions in coordination with Program Director and other Coordinates in other relevant department to enhance staff capacity on FSL & Resilience programming.

Representing Action Against Hunger in meetings with relevant authorities and other agencies i.e. Government authorities, NGOs, UN agencies and donor representatives to create links with various technical actors working in the same geographical areas of interventions, and develop partnerships where relevant and appropriate.

Delivery

The Head of Department, FSL & Resilience will be able to provide humanitarian and development context assessment and analysis, development and promotion of FSL technical strategic interventions, multi-sectoral approaches and high quality concept papers, proposals and reports.

Strengthen coordination and partnerships with all relevant technical sectors and partner organization for identification of innovative research projects to address the root causes of undernutrition.

Establish strategic partnerships with various actors (Government, NGOs, UN agencies etc) in developing and maintaining relations with current and potential donors.

II. Essential job functions

• Contribute to integrated surveillance activities as applicable through input on development of tools, analysis and interpretation, etc.

· Ensure the regular analysis and reporting of recovery and development needs, malnutrition causal factors and linkages at country level through regular high quality field assessments, participation in coordination forums, regular consultation with stakeholders and collection of secondary data.

• Develop strategic positioning for the department as part of the Action Against Hunger annual country strategy process and as needed, in close consultation with field teams and other technical departments.
• Identify new geographical areas of interest and or confirm existing areas according to humanitarian, recovery and development needs and the Action Against Hunger strategic plan.

• Identify, propose and develop new program orientations, strategies and activities.

• Ensure harmonization and coherence of recovery and development FSL approaches and activities across all program bases with the development of project implementation plans and regular follow-up.

• Ensure the development and implementation of proper systems to reduce the risk of corruption and conflict of interest by program staff and local authorities; and increase accountability and transparency of operations.

• Identify training needs and work with HR department to develop and implement relevant training plans.

• Ensure compliance of FSL program standards to achieve grant/funding objectives

• Work in close relation with FSL technical counterpart in HQ and Regional FSL advisor.

• Promote an integrated approach among the WASH, Nutrition and FSL sectors wherever feasible and justified.

• Facilitate mainstreaming of DRM, gender and protection aspects in recovery and development projects.

• Ensure the appropriate development and implementation of high quality technical monitoring systems, indicators and supporting tools to monitor the impact and outcome of recovery and development FSL programs; ensure their harmonization across bases and build capacity of field teams on their implementation and regular timely use.

• Provide direct support to recovery and development program managers on program planning and monitoring (procurement planning, budget design, forecast and follow-up, monthly reports, technical reports, etc.)

• Ensure internal and external evaluation of current, recovery, and development previous programs in the operational area in a manner that facilitates organizational learning.

• Serve as lead on new recovery and development proposal development to ensure high quality technical and donor reporting across all recovery and development program activities to Action Against Hunger and donor standards

• Support learning and application of innovative approaches in recovery and development projects at field level in collaboration with other Action Against Hunger technical departments and external partners

• Ensure documentation and capitalization of lessons learnt and good practices; and contribute to the preparation of publications, where applicable

• Engage in outreach and advocacy with policy makers and practitioners at National and County government levels

• Represent Action Against Hunger in Kenya key national or regional meetings and forums. Ensure active presence and participation in national FSL coordination meetings, cluster and technical working groups

• Develop a strong state and county level relationship with local authorities and institutions related to Food Security and livelihood

• Create links with various FSL actors working in the same operational areas and develop partnerships where relevant and appropriate

• Ensure that relevant stakeholders have a clear understanding of Action Against Hunger charter, background, program objectives and activities in the field.

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

Technical and managerial supervisory line to FSL Officers.

IV. Gender Equality Commitments

· Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.

· Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.

· Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion. Race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.

· Value and respect all cultures.

V. Fiscal Responsibility

Food Security , Livelihoods & Resilience Portfolio

VI. Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VII. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.

Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

· Master’s degree in food security, Agricultural Education and Extension, Agricultural/Applied Economics, Agribusiness Management, Food Policy and Applied food science, Veterinary Sciences, or related courses.

· At least 7 years’ experience in food systems, nutrition sensitive agriculture, livelihoods, natural resource management and Disaster Risk Reduction.

Required Skills & Competencies

· Experience working in humanitarian and development contexts, recovery and rehabilitation as well as with national governments, regional bodies, UN agencies and INGOs.

· Excellent knowledge of technical fields related to Food Security & Livelihoods that includes excellent working knowledge of food security, Market systems and nutrition sensitive resilience.

· Sound analytical and technical competence in the subject matter of food security and livelihoods

· Field experience in FSL programming, including agro ecology, value chain analysis, income generation, emergency food assistance, COD, HEA, etc.

· Experience in Food security and Livelihood assessments including cash and market assessments in both development and emergency contexts.

· Experience with research and partnership developments with universities.

· Experience with donor communications.

· Demonstrated previous experience in and strong proposal writing and donor reporting skills.

· Demonstrated experience in financial management and preparation of budgets for programming.

· Good diplomatic and negotiation skills.

· Knowledge and experience in assessment and research methods.

· Strong organizational skills and technical review/writing of detailed technical documents.

· Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work both independently and as a member of a team

· Interest and/or experience in Cash transfer programs, Agriculture and livestock programming in Humanitarian setting and community led methodologies.